Thursday, April 3, 2014

BHABANI MUNDA - PASSION AND PERSEVERANCE

Indeed, if I come across a woman who wishes to play Football
professionally, I will be stunned. Then if she highlights, selling tea and
rotis are going to buy her that golden dream, I will be flabbergasted.
Nonetheless, watching a beautiful video on Dooars XI, a football team run by
tea selling girls made me realize no dreams are big enough not to see the face
of reality; all that requires is passion and craving to dream. When the team of
Half Stories (Initiate by Tata Capital) accidentally bumped in to these super
excited bunch of passionate women, I am sure they are thrilled by their spirits
as well. Even I got goosebumps just reading it; I wonder how the team had
reacted. Be it wearing an old jersey or brother's shoes, nothing has kept these
girls out of the reach of a new direction, new destiny which they have braided
carefully, with the help of Bhabani Munda, their coach, their hope, and
definitely, their true inspiration.

Bhabani Munda, who hit the ball first when 7, still continues to play
with the same enthusiasm. It is obvious to any Indian women especially born and
brought up in villages, how difficult it is to play the game titled only for
men. We have all sympathized, Parminder Nagra a.ka. Jess in Bend it like
Beckham for not being allowed to play football in spite of having grown in a
country like the United Kingdom. That is exactly how our society is, culling
the dreams of women in the name of marriage, rituals, superstition, and most
importantly, as a curse to their womanhood. So, it gives me a proud moment,
when I come across women like Bhabani Munda, who cutting down the odds, stand
up with a team of women to fight the society and its chaos emerging as a
winner.

From an outsider, we appreciate her but how far can we submerge
ourselves in understanding their pain and trouble? Was it easy for them to
stand up in a society ruled, lived, and dragged by men? Bhabani Munda, was
never allowed to play by her family fearing the society and their own self. But
she broke out of it, built her own four walls and started living with the team
girls, I am sure, are her true family now. Selling tea might be their
occupation for food and football, but their journey has only begun. When the
entire society, torn clothes, tattered shoes did not stop them, then they are
never going to stop. The journey of Half Stories has touched my heart and I
pray sincerely, that the story completes in a propitious way. And, the
exuberant girls reach new realms of success because they truly deserve it!!!